Germination & Bulbs, Stenomesson from seed

Leo Martin stnalpsoel@gmail.com
Tue, 14 Feb 2017 15:28:41 PST
Lee wrote regarding the Peruvian climate

Lima, down at the coast, is different, and kind of weird. Lima gets almost
> no rain on average. But the small amount of rain it does get seems to fall
> into 2 separate periods: A larger amount during the winter months, and a
> smaller amount during the summer months. we?re talking only mm of rain (see
> for example, <http://limaeasy.com/lima-info/…
> in-lima> or <https://en.climate-data.org/location/1014/>).
> Maybe this is why bulbs native to the coastal regions of Peru (such as
> Ismene amancaes and the winter-growing variant of Paramongaia weberbaueri)
> can so easily be grown in mediterranean climates like California?s?because
> the annual rainfall/temperature pattern kind of mimics the mediterranean
> pattern to some extent.


Rainfall graphs tell only a partial story. While measurable rain in Lima
occurs only once a decade or so, coastal central Peru gets extremely heavy
winter fog. This condenses and supplies sufficient water to keep the soil
damp to a few centimeters. This water supports an extensive system of
winter rainfall annuals, grasses - and bulbs. It occurs on the small
coastal hills found within a few km of the sea - the Lomas zones that
Norton is studying.

Where the rivers enter the sea, there are floodplains that have been used
for agriculture for thousands of years. Whatever once grew there is gone.

In between on the coast are vast zones of sand. On this sand grow mats of
Tillandsias, which live off the frequent fogs and dews. There is virtually
no rain, nor wind here - otherwise the Tillandsias would be blown away.
There are a very few cacti, mostly genus Haageocereus, in this zone; they
survive on condensed fog and dew. Ascending the river valleys, it is easy
to see the point beyond which fog never penetrates - the surroundings
become completely barren, with not a leaf of grass among the piles of rock
shards.

Along the rivers, descending in steep and narrow canyons from the high
mountains, there may be vegetation immediately beside the river, but not
beyond. There is virtually no vegetation on the steep mountainsides,
either. Ancient Peruvians made small diversion canals from the rivers that
still run across the mountains for many many miles. There have been less
than 500 inches of rainfall since the Conquistadores depopulated Peru, and
the old walls and irrigation systems can still be seen. Except for these
canals, and the now-abandoned fields, there is almost no evidence of plant
growth beyond the river banks. Cacti in genus Armatocereus and Neoraimondea
do grow here. Jim Mauseth, a cactus specialist at the University of Texas,
suspects these plants only grow when an El NiƱo period brings some rain -
maybe once in 10-15 years.

At higher elevations small amounts of rain may fall during the summer.
There is typical sparse scrub grassland with a few shrubs and trees. It is
in these sorts of zones Stenomesson and related genera may grow, as well as
cacti in genera Echinopsis, Espostoa, Lobivia and Matucana; and various
mound-forming opuntias; various bromeliads, including Puya and Tillandsia;
the beautiful shrub Cantua buxifolia; and the papaya relative Jacaratia. At
very high elevations, but below much if any frost, grow Bomarea species.

Leo Martin
Zone 9?
Phoenix Arizona USA
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